Gang-saw mill



(No Modell 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. T. S. WILKIN. GANG SAW MILL.

No. 335,167. Patented Feb. 2, 1886.

2 Sheets-Sheet '2.

(No Model.)

T. S. WILKIN. GANG SAW MILL. No. 335,167.

NITED STATES PATEN rricn.

GANG-SAW MILL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 335,167, dated February 2, 11.886.

Application filed June 4, 1885. Serial No. 167,644.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THEODORE S. WILKIN, of Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gang- Saw Mills, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to gangsaw mills; and it consists in constructing the gang of a series of sector-shaped'saws mounted upon an arbor or rock-shaft, and so connected or bound together as to afford the necessary stiffness and rigidity without a straining-frame.

The invention further consists in various details of construction relating to the manner of mounting and securing the saws, preventing twisting or binding, securing the advance and recession of the saws on the down and up strokes, respectively, and other matters hereinafter set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is avertical sectional view of myimproved gang; Fig. 2, a face view of the same; Figs. 3 to 6, detail views of parts hereinafter described.

Prior to this invention saw-gangs have almost invariably been made with straight saws stretched in a reciprocating sash or frame. Attempts have been made to substitute circular for reciprocating saws; but, owing to the necessarily greater thickness of such circular saws and consequent waste of timber, and to the fact that the rear sides of the saws act upon and cut or mar the faces of the boards or planks, the use of circular-saw gangs is confined almost entirely to light work.

My invention is designed to combine the advantages of reciprocating and circular saws, while avoiding the disadvantages .of each. The manner in which I attain these ends is illustrated in the annexed drawings,in which-- A indicates a rigid frame extending from the lower or ground floor of the mill up to the log-floor, the frame shown being simply the lower section of the ordinary gang-frame, which requires little or no change to adapt it to the new gang.

B indicates a substantial shaft or arbor, journaled in boxes at the top of frame A, and having two radial arms, 0, keyed or otherwise firmly secured to it near its ends, the arms projecting from the shaft or arbor at the same angle, and being connected by a girt or (No model.)

cross-beam, D, to the end of which they are firmly bolted. These arms D are advisably made of steel, and are of such form and dimensions as to avoid all liability of springing or twisting when the machine is in operation. At the base of frame A is a driving-shaft, E, mounted in pillow'blocks F, and carrying a fiy-wheel, G, and a crank wheel or disk, H, as for the ordinary saw-gang. From the crankpin I of the disk H a pitinan, J, extends to and connects with the noddle-pin K or girt D, so that as the disk rotates, the girt and the .arm 0, to which it is bolted, are carried up and down, swinging through an arc of a circle of which the axis of shaft or arbor B is the center.

L indicates the saws, of which I use a number about equal to that of an ordinary reciprocating gang, each saw, under the present plan, being made in the form of a sector, the center of which may be coincident with or slightly eccentric to the axis of the arbor or shaft B, upon which the saws are mounted. If made eccentric, the center shouldbe placed slightly above the axis of the arbor, in order that the periphery of the saw may constantly advance on the downstroke and recede on the upstroke. This form is illustrated in the drawings, and is believed to be the better form for general use.

As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the shaft or arbor B is threaded near each end and just within the arms 0, and provided with heavy nuts M. Between these nuts washers or disks N are placed upon the shaft or arbor, each washer having a recess, a, in one side face, extending partially or entirely around the central opening,b,and producing a flange or lip,c. These washers N and the nuts M are placed upon the arbor before the arms 0 are keyed. fast, and are removed only in case it becomes necessary to change the saws or to vary their adjustment, the washers serving as spacing-blocks or gages to regulate the width of space between the saws, and consequently the thickness of the boards or planks produced.

Each saw is cut out to conform to the shaft or arbor, as shown in Fig. 3, and has a tab, d, of metal riveted to one side, and conforming to the curvature of that edge which is cut away to fitthe arbor, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4.. This tab d is of a thickness just equal to the depth of recess a or flange c, and of a form and size to accurately fit and fill the space between the arbor B and the flange c, the recess a and tab b being arranged face to face.

The saws and washers are alternated, and the tab d of each saw is seated in the recess a of the adjoining washer, and when the required space is filled the nuts M are turned up and made to press the whole series firmly together, but not until the lower edge of each saw is attached near its periphery to the girt D. To

. effect this attachment conveniently andeasily,

and permit the ready displacement of the saws, the girt D is formed with a longitudinal slot or groove, 2, having overhanging ribs f, which are undercut, as shown in Fig. 5, to receive hooks or connecting-blocks 0. These blocks are of the form shownin Fig. 5-that is to say,they are of approximately rectangular shape,but cutout on their front and rear sides or edges to form a T-head, g, the arms of which are undercut to correspond to the form of ribs fof the slot 6 in the girt. The upper end of each block has a slot, 71, of the same form as the slot 6 of the girt D, running from its front to its rear edge, or at rightangles to the groove e of girt D. Each block is of the same thickness as the washers or collars N.

Each saw is furnished at or near its periphery and at its lower edge with metal tabs t on both sides of the blade, as shownin Fig. 3, of a form and size to fit the slots or openings h of the blocks 0. The slots or openings hare each of such depth as to receive beneath the tabs i a wedge or taper key, P, which rests upon the top of the girt D, and, being driven firmly to place, serves both to force the tabs 1' snugly up to the overhanging lips of the sloth and to draw the T-head g of the block 0 firmly toits place against the lips or ribs f of groove e, thereby making both rigid and secure.

Each saw is formed with a hole or perforation, j, at or near its upper outer corner, and when the saws of the entire series are secured to the girt and to the arbor B said holes are thereby aligned with each other. aligned, a rod or bolt, Q, is passed through the series of holes, and a washer or spacingcollar, 70, is placed upon said rod between each two saws, said washers or collars being of the same width exactlyas the collars N and blocks 0, from which it follows that the saws are accu'rately spaced at the center and at the two outer corners.- The rod or bolt Qmay be headed at one end, threaded and provided with a nut,v R, at the other end, or nuts may be applied to both ends. In either case the saws are clamped firmly by turning up a nut. By thus connecting and firmly binding the saws together at the three points mentioned I cause each saw to brace and support the others, and as a consequence no frame or structure is required, notwithstanding the fact that the saws are made nearly or quite. as thin as the straight saws now commonly usedin gang-mills.

If desired, the saws may be made with eyes to encircle the arbor, with tangs to enter When thus sockets, or a continuous groove in the arbor; or they may be attached thereto in any equivalent manner. The connection with the girt and the binding together of the saws at the upper corners may also be modified, though the construction and arrangement set forth are deemed best.

Instead of tabs separately made and attached to the saws, they may be formed integral therewith.

It will of course be understood that the radius of the saws must be considerably greater than the diameter of the log to be sawed, in order to allow a rise and fall of the saws without bringing the girtor girtconnections or the tie-rod at the topinto contact with the log.

For the purpose of advancing and receding the saw on the cutting and return strokes instead of or in addition to making the periphery of the saw eccentric to the axis of the arbor, the journals Z of the arbor are or may be mounted in sleeves S, which are in turn mounted in the boxes or bearings m of the frame A, the holes or bearings formed in the sleeves for the reception of thejournals I being made eccentric to the axis of the sleeves S, so that by merely turning or rocking the sleeves in their bearings the arbor B and its saws shall be advanced or receded as required.

The sleevesS are provided with radial arms n, which are connected by rods or links 0 to similar arms,p, projecting from a rock-shaft,T, journaled in frame A, and furnished with a longer arm, g, which is connected bya pitman, r,to the crank-pin s of a crank-arm,U,secured to the crank-pin I of wheel H.

In some cases the rock-shaft T and its connections may be omitted, the pitmanrin such case connecting directly withone or both arms n of the sleeves S; but ordinarily sufficient room cannot be secured forsuch arrangement.

It is obvious that the mechanism for advancing and receding the saws may be varied; hence I do not restrict myself to the use of the particular construction shown.

Good results may be secured by making the journals Z of arbor B eccentric to the axis of the arbor.

The rock-shalt or arbor B may be threaded at one end only, or at both ends, as preferred.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In a gang-saw mill, a series of sectorshaped blades, toothed on their peripheries, secured to a rock-shaft or arbor, and bound together at their outer corners, substantially as shown and described.

2. A blade for gang-saw mills, madein the form, of a sector and provided with teeth on its periphery, substantially as shown and described.

8. A blade for gang-saw mills, made substantially in the form of a sector, but having its toothed circumference made slightly eccentric, to cause the blade to advance in cutting.

41. The herein-described saw for gang-saw journaled in frame A and provided with a mills, consisting of a sector-shaped blade, as L, having teeth on its periphery, a curved tab, as d, near the meeting-point of its upper and lower edges, and tabs, as z i, at its outer lower corner.

5. In a gang-saw mill, the combination of a supporting-frame, an arbor journaled in said frame, a series of saws of sector shape mounted upon said arbor, a girt connecting said saws near their peripheries, a crank-shaft, and a pitman connecting the crank-pin and the girt, all substantially as described and shown.

6. In combination with a rock-shaft, a sawblade secured thereto in a radial plane at right angles to the axis of the arbor, a crank,and a pitman connecting the saw-blade and the crank, substantially as set forth and shown, whereby rotation of the crank is caused to impart a reciprocatory movement to the saw about th axis of the arbor.

7. The combination of a frame, as A, an arbor, as B, journaled in said frame and threaded near its end, collars, as N, mounted upon said arbor and formed with a cavity, as a, in one face, sectorshaped saws, as L, each provided with a tab, as d, to enter the cavity of one of the collars, and with tabs, as i, near the periphery, a girt, as D, provided with a longitudinal groove, as 6, blocks, as 0, connecting the saws and girt, wedges, as I, passing through the blocks between the saws and girt, a crank-shaft, as E, and a pitman, as J, connecting the girt and the pin of the crank of said crank-shaft.

8. The combination, substantially as shown and described, of a frame, A, a rock-shaft, B, journaled therein and provided with radial arms, as O O, a girt, D, secured to the outer ends of said arms, saws L, secured upon the arbor and connected with the girt, a shaft, E,

crank-wheel, H, and a pitman connecting the crank-pin and the girt.

9. The combination of a supporting-frame, A, rock-shaft B, journaled therein and provided with arms 0 O, girt D, connecting said arms, saws L, secured to the rock-shaft and girt, the rod Q, extending through the upper corners of the saws, spacing blocks or collars between the saws, a crank-shaft, E, and a pitman connecting the crank-pin and the girt.

10. A saw-gang consisting of arbor B, journaled in a suitable supporting-frame and provided with a'threaded portion at one end, a

series of collars, N, mounted upon said arbor and formed with recesses a in their side faces, saws L, having tabs d, seated in the recess a, nut M, secured upon the threaded portion of the arbor and pressing the sawsand collars firmly together, tie-bolt Q, passing through the upper extremities of the saws, spacingcollars encircling said bolt and serving to separate the saws, arms 0 G, secured upon the arbor B, girt D, connecting said arms, and blocks 0, connecting the saws and girt and serving to space the saws, all substantially as described and shown.

11. In combination with rock-shaft B and a supporting-frame, saws L,secured to said rockshaft and provided with tabs 2' nearthe outer lower extremities, arms 0 G, keyed to the rockshaft, girt D, secured to said arms and provided with groove or slot 6, block 0, having T-heads g, seated in groove 6 and slotted at their upper ends to receive the tabs 73 of the saws, and Wedges 1?, extending through the blocks 0 between the saws and the girt.

12. In combination with a frame, a rockshaft or arbor mounted therein, sector-shaped saws secured to said arbor, eccentric sleeves encircling the journals of said arbor, to advance the same as the saws reciprocate about the axis of the arbor, and mechanism for reciprocating the saws.

13. In combination with frame A and arbor B, having journals Z, sleeves S, encircling the journals Z, j ournaled in frame A, and provided with arms a, saws L, secured upon arbor B and connected by girt D, shaft E, provided with crank H, pitman J, connecting crankpin I and girt D, rock-shaft T, provided with arms 1) and q, links 0, connecting the arms n and p of the sleeves and rock-shaft, an eccentric crank-arm, U, secured upon the shaft E, and a pitman, 1', connecting the arm q of the rock-shaft and the eccentric crank-arm.

14. In combination with a frame, a rockshaft or arbor mounted therein, a gang of sector-shaped saws secured to said arbor, mechanism for reciprocating said saws about the axis of the arbor, and a device, substantially such as shown and described, for advancing the gang and arbor on the cutting stroke and receding them on the return stroke.

THEODORE S.WILKIN.

itnesses:

CHARLES ALLIs, T. W. PEOK.

IOO 

